AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1921, Page 8

AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

FUTURE OF COMMERCIAL FLYING. “An experimental aerial mail and passenger service has been in operation between Christchurch and Timaru since January 31. That this service has been reported by the Postal authorities as being-unprofitable is not to be wondered at, and- should not be taken as an indication that commercial aviation in New Zealand cannot be successfully undertaken.” This statement was made by an experienced air pilot in discussing with a Dominion reporter the prospects for commercial aviation in this, country. “The actual route chosen,” the expert stated, “is not well suited to demonstrate the commercial value of aerial transport. The existing railway transport between- these particular towns is quite sufficiently rapid and frequent to meet the usual and ordinary demands of the business public, and the distance, approximately one hundred miles, is too small to permit of any great saving of time which might warrant the payment of the special rates of pestage and fares. “The . advantage the ClinstcnurchTimaru route does offer u is. however, most important from the pioneer airman’s point of view. Along the entire journey the country is dotted with large ■fields.' which oiler safe and convenient emergency landing grounds should they be required. No laborious ground survey has been required to put the service into operation. . “It is perhaps advisable at this juncture to discountenance that totally erroneous supposition firmly embedded in the minds of the major portion of the jniblic. that should the engine of an aircraft suddenly stop in mid-air down crashes the machine to the ground. As a matter of fact, in order to make a landing, the pilot must shut off Ins engine, and he then proceeds to glidel to the earth. It naturally follows that should the motor stop through mechanical defect the pilot, has not lost control, but is merely compelled to glide down. During a glide the machine is under perfect control, and can be manoeuvred with the greatest of ease and safety. For every thousand feet of altitude a machine can glide a lateral distance of one mile. Therefore a pilot making an involuntary landing from 1000 feet has a circular stretch of country of a radius of one mile from which . to" select a suitable spot on which to land his machine. ' “Viewing commercial aviation from a public safety standpoint, therefore, the obvious inference to be drawn from the above is that the terminals of an aerial route should be linked up by a chain of clearly marked emergency landing grounds, and as most cross-country flyin., is done at an altitude of approximately 5000 feet, these grounds should be spaced along the route at intervals of ten miles. 'Cross-country flying I then becomes ‘aerodrome flying.’ “The purchase of terminal aerodromes and emergency landing grounds to link them up would cost the Government such a large sum 39 to P ut out. of court at once. In the United Kingdom municipalities have in many cases purchased aerodromes, and emergency landing grounds have been marked out and either rented or given freely by their public-spirited owners for use if required. Ju. New Zealand, Blenheim is proposing to have its municipal aerodrome and land-owners on the Christchurch-Blenheim route have readily consented to make their fields available for use if necessary. . ‘•'The provision of routes so organised s will do much to speed up the growth of public confidence in the safety ol aircraft. and will ensure the success of conftnercial aviation in the Dominion.